Toy figures and dolls as well as other hand-held or hand manipulated toys which change shape or size are well known in the art. Such shape or size changing toys achieve their play action using a variety of structures, mechanisms and materials combinations.
One type of shape and/or size changing toy may be generally characterized by its flexible and stretchable deformable outer skin and amorphous material filling. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,336 issued to Kuhan sets forth a STRECHABLE FIGURE EXHIBITING SLOW RECOVERY having an outer skin formed of an elastic film material which is filled with a high viscosity material. The figure is formed to generally resemble a human and the material filling exhibits a sufficient high viscosity to impede the recovery of normal shape when the outer skin is stretched. Thus the toy figure may be stretched dramatically and released and thereafter very slowly returns to its normal shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,347 issued to Fauls set forth a FLEXIBLE DOLL CLOSURE AND HEAD MOUNTING having an elastic material skin and viscous liquid filler. The head portion of the doll body is removable from the remainder of the doll body by a unique closure and attachment which seals the doll body interior and captivates the viscous liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,923 issued to Rosenburg sets forth an AMUSEMENT DEVICE EMPLOYING DILATANT SUSPENSION FILLER having an impervious elastic container in a desired configuration and a dilatant suspension enclosed therein. The toy exhibits unusual distortion and recovery of shape properties and may be fabricated in a variety of shapes and sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,190 issued to Tarnoff et al. sets forth a DEFORMABLE ARTICLE having a flexible bladder assuming a desired shape and having a filling stem for receiving a moldable filling medium such as a cohesive mixture of hollow or solid microspheres and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,322 issued to Myers sets forth LIQUID FILLABLE TRANSPARENT DOLLS formed of a plurality of hollow relatively movable body parts which are interconnected to form a common reservoir therein. A liquid fills the reservoir and provides color imparted to the outer appearance of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,281 issued to Smith et al. sets forth a TOY ANIMAL WITH SUPPLE LEGS AND WEIGHTED FEET formed of a outer flexible skin within which a plurality of beads are confined. Within the lower legs and feet of the toy figure a mass of relatively heavy beads are concentrated to insure the upright standing position of the animal toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,245 issued to Murza et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,436 issued to Lund et al. as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,757 issued to McMurray each show examples of deformable bladder type toys having a liquid or flowing interior filling.
In a related type of shape and/or size changing toy the structure is characterized by one of more expandable elements such as limbs which utilize mechanical apparatus for achieving the expansion or extension. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,038 issued to Morrison et al. sets forth FIGURE TOYS having one or more portions formed of corrugated plastic tubing which is capable of being contracted and expanded in length and is capable of being curved into an arch. The tubing is formed by providing a series of hinge sections along its length defining a continuous series of groves having sides of unequal length. The unequal sides are coupled by hinge sections which eliminate elasticity between the connected sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,957 issued to Levy sets forth PNEUMATICALLY-OPERATED ROBOTIC TOY having an internal bellows or air pump which forces pressurized air to flow from the internal pump through passage ways into hollow arms of the robot. The arms of the robot include bellows which expand as the pressure within the arm is increased and which contract as the pressure therein is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,012 issued to Blandi et al. sets forth a MUSICAL PULL STRING TOY having an elongated body supported by an upper hook and defining a multiply pleated mid-section. The mid-section is expandable as the lower end of the toy is pulled downwardly. A string extends through the toy and is operative as the toy is stretched downwardly to wind a spring driven music producing mechanism in the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,033 issued to Wright sets forth a PROJECTABLE TOY STUFFED ANIMAL having a body defining a flexible outer layer and an elongate tail projecting rearwardly from its trunk. The tail is provided with a plurality of annular folds which allow it to be extended. An elastic element within the toy body provides a spring like extension of the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,568 issued to Garner sets forth JOINED DOLLS having a pair of flexible padded dolls each defining pairs of leg and arm appendages. The end portions of the doll leg and arm appendages of each doll are joined.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,278 issued to Dickhut sets forth a MANUALLY MANIPULATABLE FLEXIBLE TOY having an elongated tube fabricated of semi-rigid material such as plastic. The tube forms bellows which in turn define a plurality of larger diameter rings and a plurality of smaller diameter rings joined in an alternating array length wise on the tube by frusto-conical walls. The tube is as a result, extendible, retractable and readily formed into various curved configurations.
Other generally related toys and toy figures share various characteristics and/or structures with the foregoing described prior art devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,959 issued to Fleischer sets forth a TOY EGG adapted for pulling, stretching and bouncing which includes a pair of intertwined helicly cut shells.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,727,984 issued to Lin and 4,666,417 issued to Hillman set forth elongated expandable toys having elongated bodies and providing novelty amusement devices.
A number of other patents show toy and toy items generally related to shape or size changing toys. U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,991 issued to Kotey et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,566 issued to lin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,745 issued to Yea are examples of such patents. Additional patents show items generally related to shape changing toys such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,294 issued to Chen and U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,190 issued to Ganson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,756 issued to Barthold as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,211 issued to Rensick et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,380 issued to Morrison and U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,213 issued to Chen.
While the foregoing described prior art toys, toy figures and dolls have generally improved the toy art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art fore evermore improved dolls and toy figures having changing shapes and/or sizes.